Four years ago today, I got an urgent call that changed everything. My mother’s health had taken a turn for the worse, and I needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

In that moment, fear gripped me. As I trembled, packing my bag, I could barely think. All I could do was pray. And deep down, even though she had not been sick for an extended time, I knew. I knew that the Lord was preparing to call her home. Over the previous few months, I had sensed the Holy Spirit whispering it to my heart, even when I didn’t want to believe it.

The hardest part was that I was all the way in Texas, and she was in Chicago. One of my biggest fears when I first relocated was that something would happen to my parents and I wouldn’t be able to get to them in time. And now, that fear was unfolding.

As I rushed to the airport, I remember my heart pounding while praying out loud, “Lord, please, please let me get to my mom.” The flight was delayed, and all I could do was wait and pray. That’s when Psalm 34:4 came alive for me: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.”

Somewhere between my tears and my prayers, peace entered the room. I can’t fully explain it, but as I cried out to God, He calmed my trembling. Even though I didn’t know what I would walk into once I arrived, I trusted that He would get me to my mom. And He did. God allowed me the blessing of being there with her, to pray with her, to hold her hand, and to usher her into heaven.

That day, I learned that when we truly seek the Lord, He meets us. Not always in the way we ask, but always in the way we need. He didn’t take away the pain of losing my mom, but He calmed my fears and strengthened my faith.

There were days after that when I didn’t know how I would keep going. How I would show up in my business, how I would smile, or even breathe without her here. But just like He showed up for me four years ago today, He has continued to show up every day since.

Here’s what I’ve learned, Bestie. You have to seek Him. You have to cry out and tell Him what you need. You have to trust that He hears you and that He will deliver you from your fears. And even if He doesn’t answer your prayers in the exact way you hoped, His ways are not our ways. They are better.

The more you walk with Him, the more you trust Him. That trust grows through studying His Word, being planted in a Bible-based church, and surrounding yourself with a community of believers who remind you that God is faithful.

He is still near. He still delivers. And He is still calming fears today, just like He did for me four years ago.

Your Real Estate Bestie,